Last Day of Gunn's Hill Wind Farm Tribunal Today

Thursday, 16 July 2015 05:54

The Gunn's Hill Wind Farm's Environmental Review Tribunal continues today at 9 a.m at the Oxford Centre.

OXFORD CENTRE - With just one meeting left to go in the Gunn's Hill Wind Farm Environmental Review Tribunal, the opposition feels like they have been treated fairly so far.

Testimony has been heard from many sources over the span of 5 meetings so far, as the decision to place 10 windmills just south of Woodstock is hotly debated. Director of East Oxford Community Alliance, Joan Morris, tells us what she is expecting to see at the last meeting being held at the Oxford Centre today. "I expect it will be more of the same that we've heard throughout the balance of the defence's testimony. We have modest expectations of the outcome; for the general public to go into an Environmental Review Tribunal and be facing the experts witnesses that they bring in, it is a challenge."

Members of the community have come forward to share their viewpoints on the turbines. Morris shares some of the information about the effect the turbines have been said to have on animals in areas that have installed the turbines. "We know that in other areas there have been reports of adverse impacts on animals. In the area we have some dairy farms that could be impacted, there can be various causes for it that affects the livelihood of anyone who is relying on that for their income so that of course is a concern." No adverse health probelms in humans have been proven to be linked with turbines so far.

Annoyance remains an issue of contention at the tribunal: "I know that they're lots of people who have no problems," says Morris, "but they're a number of very unfortunate victims of the affects they have experienced. In a number of cases they're serious enough for people to have to leave their home. It is frustrating for sure for the public to have to go through that process, but we know that it is all part of a process."

Heart FM will continue to provide updates on the tribunal as it progresses.